Yep.

— So with Rimuru now masquerading as a teacher, we get all the usual story beats. For instance, the kids are initially undisciplined and unwilling to listen to their new sensei. How do I reach these keeeeeeeds? Luckily, he’s got a big, mean dog on his side.

— I guess I can’t really blame the kids for their poor attitude. If they know they’re going to die soon, why even bother learning? Why even bother trying? Hell, I’m surprised they even showed up to class. I’d just go off and do my own thing if I know I haven’t got much time left. They’re stuck in some random world, and they’ll probably never be able to see their families again. If it weren’t for the fact that this is a light-hearted show, these kids would have serious mental issues. It’s a good thing we can just sweep that under the rug.

— Naturally, our hero intends to save all of these kids. Again, everything is pretty happy-go-lucky with this show, so I also expect him to succeed. The only time things have gotten a teensy bit depressing was when Shizu gave us her backstory. Since then, it’s been pretty much smooth sailing.

— Boy, it’d be embarrassing if Rimuru made a promise he couldn’t keep. It’d be like an extreme version of “Scott’s Tots” for anyone who is a fan of The Office.

— This is yet another with very low drama or intrigue (typical for this show). Ranga and his silly face are the only thing saving me from extreme boredom.

— Rimuru’s first idea is to try and burn off the kids’ excess energy, so he gives them a challenge. They each get to try to defeat him in combat. Clearly, they won’t be able to, so he’ll also be able to assert his authority once the kids realize that they’re not hot stuff. I’m a bit puzzled by their overconfidence, though. Did the kids just assumed that they could kick their teacher’s ass?

— I don’t wanna go through and detail the kids’ different abilities. There’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before. Hell, I’m not even going to try and memorize their names. If they end up doing anything important in the story, sure. But for now, meh.

— Ranga, our lord and savior.

— After asserting his dominance, Rimuru pulls out Shizu’s mask. And just like that, the kids now trust him. Pretty easy, huh?

— To nobody’s surprise, Rimuru won’t be able to save the kids this way; it can’t be that simple. He remembers, however, that Shizu’s life was extended by having Ifrit bound to her. Maybe he can try the same thing with his students. More specifically, maybe spirits can help these kids control their excess magicules or whatever.

— Good ol’ pupper.

— So later that night, slime boi pays Treyni a visit, but she is unable to tell him how to reach the “Dwelling of Spirits.” Gosh, if the manager of the great forest doesn’t know, then who?! Who?!

— The next morning, a groggy Rimuru wakes up to see an image of Shizu looking over him. I was hoping for her to start talking to him like the dead ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi giving Luke advice, but no such luck.

— A month has already passed, and the kids are now big fans of slime boi! He also gets them to follow directions by bribing them with manga. Weebs everywhere, man.

— All of a sudden, a dragon shows up to attack the city. If you think this is random, well… it kinda is.

— Our hero thinks he’s disguising himself, but uh…

— Rimuru obviously defeats the dragon without breaking a sweat. Sure, he might not be the strongest living being in this universe, but you’re missing the point if this is the argument that you want to make. What this anime lacks is a proper chain of causality. Even if you’re strong, nobody cares if it feels as though you’ve earned it. That’s not what I get when I look at Rimuru.

— So random ass dragon leads to a random ass merchant wanting to repay Rimuru for saving his life. Something seems fishy about the merchant, but maybe I’m just paranoid. Either way, this leads to our hero establishing yet another useful business connection for Tempest, but that’s not the most important part.

— The important part is how one of the random ass servants just happens to know the location of the “Dwelling of Spirits.” Take that, Treyni.

— Gandalf leading a group of hobbits on a journey to Mordor.